


Branching paths

by R0bitaReads



Category: Dororo (Manga), Dororo - Fandom
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Gen, Headcanon, One Shot Collection, Side Story, What-If
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-12
Updated: 2021-02-12
Packaged: 2021-03-13 22:21:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 834
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29285934
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/R0bitaReads/pseuds/R0bitaReads
Summary: A collection of short stories based on AUs, headcanons, and added scenarios in Dororo.Whether these can be interpreted based on the mangas, animes, or other adaptations is up to the story.
Kudos: 2





	1. A silly thought

They were trapped. Separated from their parties in the blizzard with only a dim fire to keep them warm. The cave was damp, mossy, and cramped. Neutral ground, for now. They reluctantly swallowed their pride and huddled to keep warm. Better to settle things later, otherwise, neither of them would make it back alive.

"It’s so weird. Looking at this guy makes me feel nostalgic for some reason," thought Hyakkimaru.

"There's no way... We've been trying to kill each other for months now. And yet…"

He looked at the young lord's furrowed face as he slept. Just a kid, like him.

"I get this warm feeling from him," he thought again. Hyakkimaru never knew any other kids growing up, so there was no way he could have known him before.

It was the same feeling as when he had crossed paths with that samurai lord, and again with that noblewoman. The same warmth, the same sadness.

"No, it couldn't be," Hyakkimaru shook his head. But the warmth and the unease in his heart still lingered. He continued to stare at him. His brows and his lashes were strong but the face was so round. Not mature at all.

Then, something had popped into Hyakkimaru’s mind that made him pause for a second.

He chuckled.

"Now that I think about it, all that yelling and swearing, and especially the whining through the cold," he said to himself again with a smirk.

Underneath that rude personality was another crying child.

It reminded him of Dororo, like a little brother.

What a silly thought.

He chuckled again.


	2. Crying over you.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Saburota can't help but feel nostalgic in an unfamiliar place.

Saburota could have sworn that he was falling to the ground. Thrown down by a great force and a flash of fire. He expected pain but there was nothing. It happened all too fast to process. His senses simply stopped.

Once he regained his vision, everything was surrounded by a combination of haze and brightness. He could not feel the ground behind his back. In fact, he could not feel anything. There was no chill or heat in the air. He could neither smell nor touch anything. He could not remember what it was that brought him here, only that he was there.

Saburota felt a presence next to himself, then another. As he looked up he saw two figures beside him. He could not make their faces as they were blurred, as if distorted by smoke and water. And yet their presence brought him familiarity and comfort. A feeling of warmth was placed on his forehead. What was this?

He couldn’t hear a voice, but something echoed to him. A thought that was not his. But still familiar.

"We’re sorry," the presence emitted.

"What? Sorry for what?" Saburota questioned. He felt a weight began to grow within his chest.

"We wish we could’ve brought you along with us,"

"But bringing you along would’ve been harder for you than it was for us,"

"We never got to come back home to you,"

Saburota wasn’t sure how to respond. These utterances made the weight inside him continued to build up.

"You ended up stuck picking up the pieces we left behind. So much pressure was put on you when it was meant for us."

"You had to grow without us."

"You ended up in so much trouble on account of us not being there for you."

No, Stop it. He wanted to say this, but the guilt and sadness was suffocating. This warmth and kindness. Where was this when he needed it before? Why now? Why did they have to tell him all these bittersweet somethings now? It’s all too much. It’s too late for him to receive this. This remorse was too much for someone like him.

"We are so sorry, little brother."

"You’re still not ready to join us."

Don’t drown me in all of this! His mind cried, but he could not shed tears.

* * *

Saburota’s whole body shook as he gasped. His eyes teared up as he couldn’t help but cough and wheeze. As air has finally entered his lungs his senses slowly came back to him, along with the pain.

"Don’t move yet!" someone exclaimed. "You hit the ground really hard."

It was Tahomaru, fretting like a maid. How funny.

Saburota’s ears rung and his head pulsed. His entire backside felt as though it was smashed into the earth.

"You’re lucky the ground wasn’t so hard," another person said, chuckling nervously.

"Now is not the time for that, Dororo!" Tahomaru snapped back.

Lucky, he thought. As if. Tell that to the pulse on the back of my head, kid.

As soon as his eyes could finally discern what was in front of him he could tell where he was. On the ground, on his back, in the mud, and with two crying hellions hovering over him.

Wait, are they really crying? Over me? Why?

A third figure peeked into his view. Dry-eyed this time.

"Welcome back to life, jerk." Hyakkimaru said, giving off a genuinely warm smile.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Based on a headcanon on Saburota. There is little to no backstory on his character in the manga, but I had assumed based on his name (三郎太) and attitude, he must have had elder siblings, even if the implications of him having a family are slim, at best. Whatever his past was like before the events of Dororo is a mystery, but I like the idea of adding backstory.
> 
> As for the "Dice-Spot"(賽の目, Diced Eyes) nickname he has for himself, I guess he's either a guy who likes to gamble and take his chances, or maybe he's just plain too lucky to be alive.
> 
> On an added note, I took a keen interest in his character in "Blood Will Tell", which is probably my favorite Dororo adaptation.

**Author's Note:**

> The internal dialogue is very tricky for me since there isn't really a right or wrong way of writing it?
> 
> Anyway, this first chapter was actually the first Dororo fic I made before deciding to make "Autumn Leaves".  
> I just wanted something short and sweet for the Daigo Brothers from Hyakkimaru's perspective, even if the overall situation isn't very comforting.


End file.
